You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.Think a 10-year-old can’t pump serious iron?Credit...Laila Stevens for The New York TimesThese Tiny, Mighty Kid Influencers Are Changing the Face of FitnessThink a 10-year-old can’t pump serious iron?Credit...Laila Stevens for The New York TimesListen · 8:44 min May 30, 2026Updated 9:04 a.m. ETLucy Milgrim rubbed chalk on her palms and positioned her pink and blue high-tops on the gym floor. She bent her knees, pushed her hips back and took a few deep breaths. Then, when her dad said go, she braced and dead-lifted a 145-pound barbell.Lucy is 10 years old and weighs 58 pounds.“My fingers can finally touch!” she said, showing how her grip wrapped around the bar.I joined Lucy and her parents, Michelle and Brett Milgrim, in their small garage gym on Long Island, to watch one of Lucy’s strength training workouts. Lucy, who is in fourth grade, complemented her lifting with pull-ups and ring dips that she completed with seemingly no effort. In between sets, she bopped around the equipment, telling stories about classmates who challenged her to lift them up at recess and her favorite hairstyle (battle braids).Lucy started strength training when she was 8 years old, and she holds three American records in powerlifting. She is a champion wrestler, too.She is also the star of Instagram and TikTok accounts run by her parents, which together have 232,000 followers. Her most popular Instagram video, in which she dead-lifted 180 pounds at a powerlifting meet, her personal record, has been viewed over 67 million times and has 3.7 million likes.She said she became interested in powerlifting after watching her parents work out in their home gym. She asked her dad, an attorney and wrestling coach, to train her. He was on board, knowing it could make her a stronger wrestler.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT